


Adventures of "Timetable"

by Coolartist1110



Category: Ben 10 Series, Doctor Who
Genre: Except it's not him, Gen, Technically The 10th Doctor makes an appearance, you'll get it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 08:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30069678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coolartist1110/pseuds/Coolartist1110
Summary: I feel like these 2 series..es...could work really well together, but I don't see them cross over a lot. I figured I'd make this for fun!
Relationships: Ben Tennyson & Gwen Tennyson, Ben Tennyson & Gwen Tennyson & Max Tennyson, Ben Tennyson & Max Tennyson, Gwen Tennyson & Max Tennyson
Kudos: 2





	1. The Ultracinemaplex!

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place sometime between Divided We Stand and Don't Drink the Water.

“Aw, c’mon, Grandpa! Pleaaaaase?” 

“No. And that’s FINAL.” 

Ben sighed and gave up. It was so unfair! Gwen, Grandpa Max, and Ben had just taken a stop next to Ultracinemaplex, one of the most hi-tech movie theaters in the world, and they couldn’t even watch ONE THING? SO not cool.

He slumped into his seat at the Rustbucket’s table. Gwen, who was on her computer, smirked at her cousin. 

“Ben, Grandpa’s right. Why do you even want to watch ‘Slaughterhouse V: Return of Shadows?’ Haven’t you seen it a million times?” Gwen questioned.

“Uh, YEAH, but I’ve never seen it on a movie screen, let ALONE in super hi-def surround sound AWESOMENESS! You really expect me to think you don’t wanna watch a movie in there?” Ben retorted.

“Of course I do, doofus. You just have to go about these sorta things the right way,” Gwen explained. She closed her computer and looked innocently at her grandfather. “Grandpa? There’s a nature documentary playing at the Ultracinemaplex. I, for one, think it would be a good educational experience for us if we went to watch it.” 

Ben was sickened by Gwen’s better-than-you attitude as usual. 

“Gwen, sweetie, that sounds like a great idea,” Grandpa conceded. Gwen smiled triumphantly. “But I’m sorry, I’m just too tired to go see a movie tonight.” Gwen’s smile faded.

“Well, then...why not let us go by ourselves? You wouldn’t want us to miss such an ‘educational experience,’ right?” Ben suggested. If he could go with Gwen, then he was sure he’d be able to convince her to let him go off and see Slaughterhouse V. Win-win!

“Not happening, little man. You’re both too young, and it’s dark out.”

“WHAT?!” both cousins shouted.

“You allow us to take on ALIEN MENACES every day, but we can’t go to the movies on our own?!” Ben complained.

“Yeah! If it’s a problem with Ben, I can _totally_ keep an eye on him for you!” Gwen added. Ben stuck his tongue out at that remark.

“You’ve got a watch that turns you into aliens, and you’ve got magic powers. That’s good for alien fighting, but _not_ in a public space where people can _see you_.”

“But we’re leaving tomorrow! This could be our ONE CHANCE to see a movie in the Ultracinemaplex, and...I really wouldn’t wanna miss that nature doctor memory or whatever!” Ben argued.

“It’s a _documentary_ , Ben. Sometimes I wonder if you know how to _read_ ,” Gwen commented.

“Kids, driving around all day is tiring. I’m sure you’ll understand once you’re both old enough to drive. I think the best thing to do is get a good night’s rest. Alright?” said Max.

“Yes, Grandpa…” the young Tennysons replied. 


	2. Are British People Aliens?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has unknowingly unlocked one of the most fearsome aliens in the universe: a random English dude.

Fast forward a bit, and the Tennyson family all lay in their beds, pajamas and all. Ben was wide awake, still fuming.

_ Too young. That’s not true! I can TOTALLY take care of myself. I mean, I’ve saved the world plenty of times! How hard could going to the movies be?  _

Before Ben could continue thinking angry thoughts, he realized something. 

_ Bathroom! _

Ben hopped out of his bunk bed, falling on the floor in the process. He made some silent “ows!” and rushed to the Rustbucket’s restroom. After doing his business and washing his hands, he took a look at the Omnitrix. Now  _ that  _ gave him an idea.

“Wait a sec...if I snuck in as Grey Matter, nobody would even notice me! Or maybe Ghostfreak could...nah, Grey Matter,” Ben decided. Anything was better than Ghostfreak. 

He pressed the button and the Omnitrix’s dial popped out. He spun the dial until the Galvan’s silhouette appeared. With a mischievous grin, he smacked the dial down.

A flash of green light filled the small room. Ben  _ expected  _ to be down on the ground, with everything in the world suddenly bigger than him. Instead, everything almost seemed...smaller.

“Stupid watch. I ASKED for Grey Matter! What did you turn me into now?!” Ben muttered. He quickly covered his mouth. This voice wasn’t familiar. He knew how he sounded as all of his other aliens. This was new. Lucky for Ben, there was a mirror close by. 

He looked at his reflection and examined it closely. Odd. This was an alien? By all accounts, he still looked human. His hair was still brown, only it was styled to stick up in the air. He wore a pinstripe suit (the suit itself was black and the stripes were white) with matching pants, tennis shoes, and a big brown trench coat. His eyes were still green. He looked for the Omnitrix symbol and found it on his right hand. 

“This is  _ weird _ , even for me,” Ben said to himself. “Do I have an accent now?” 

Ben made some noises to himself, testing out these new vocal cords. 

“Blah. BLAAAAH. Dingle-dangle. Lappy-tappy-too-tah. British, I’m BRITISH?! Oh my GOSH, British people are all aliens...I  _ knew it! _ Ah,  _ focus _ , Tennyson. My plan’s ruined! How am I supposed to get into the Ultracinemaplex looking like…” Ben trailed off. 

No. Wait. This could work.

“Looking like a normal adult! Who’s gonna say I’m too young like this? Nobody, that’s who. Just gotta get a ticket and hello Slaughterhouse V!” 

Ben quietly opened the door. He hoped none of his talking had woken up Gwen or Grandpa, but they were still sleeping. Good. All he had to do was get his pocket money from his pants’ pocket. He tip-toed to his bag, right beside Gwen’s bunk. He opened the zipper, grabbed a few dollars, and shoved them into the trench coat’s pocket. None of Ben’s other aliens came with pockets. Convenient! 

Just as Ben was about to sneak out the door, undetected, Gwen began to stir in her bed.

_ Nononono! What do I do, what do I do?! _

Every single instinct Ben had screamed one word: RUN! 

So he did. He rushed out of the Rustbucket and closed the door as quietly as he could. 

“Phew. Man, my heart’s  _ racing! _ ” Ben noted. He held his hand up to his chest and felt for his heartbeat. The good news was that his heartbeat was fine. The more interesting news was that he felt a distinct  _ second  _ heart beating, too. 

“AH!” Ben shrieked. He took his hand off his heart, or hearts. “That’s definitely more alien-like. I wonder what other organs British people have two of…” 

Ben felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around and got punched in the face. 

“OW! What was that for?!”

Ben looked to see Gwen, still in her pajamas. She looked furious. 

“UGH. What do  _ you  _ want?”

“We’re gonna keep this quiet, because I am  _ not  _ letting my Grandpa wake up just ‘cuz of some stupid kidnapper!” Gwen whisper-yelled.

“Kidnapper?”

Before Ben could get out another word, Gwen swept him off his feet. She got out her spellbook and prepared to strike.

“OW! Ok, ok, I’ll take you to watch your stupid documentary too! Just stop beating me up!” Ben conceded.

Gwen stopped her recitation and looked closely at the stranger in front of her. She noticed the emblem attached to his right hand. “Ben?!”

“Yeah. Hi.” Ben got off the ground and dusted himself off. “Wow, these legs are super lanky.”

“How is this possible? You don’t look like an alien to me. Since when can you turn into other people?” Gwen questioned.

“This guy’s an alien, alright. Check it out!”

Ben pointed at his chest. Gwen hesitantly put her hand on it. She quickly recoiled.

“Is that  _ two  _ heartbeats?!” 

“Yu-huh. And this’ll be super helpful for blending into the population of England. I can overthrow their alien queen from the inside!” 

“Ben, English people aren’t  _ aliens _ . Whatever this thing is, it’s not from Earth. Maybe Grandpa knows?” 

“Maybe he does. We can ask him... _ after  _ I go to the Ultracinemaplex.”

“No way! Grandpa said we had to stay put.”

“Yeah, because we were too young. I’m definitely not ten years old right now, right?”

“I guess not-”

“Then there’s not a problem! If you pay, you can see your boring movie too.”

Gwen debated with herself whether to betray her Grandfather’s trust or not, but settled the matter quickly. “Alright, I’ll get some money...we’ll be back before morning, right?”

“Slaughterhouse V is exactly two and a half hours including previews and excluding the end credits. I dunno about your movie, but I’ll be fine,” Ben proclaimed. He took a second to actually think about what he just said. “I...I never knew how long the movie was. I never thought of it. How did I know that?” 

“Maybe it’s what this alien’s good at?”

“What, telling time? That’s LAME! What am I, a walking timetable? I-” Ben stopped talking and started thinking some more. “I...I  _ am  _ a walking timetable.”

“What do you mean?”

“This conversation has lasted exactly two minutes, fourteen seconds, two nano-seconds, and-”

“Enough already! I get it! Lemme just get changed and get myself, alarm clock,” Gwen interrupted. She snuck back into the RV.

“So, this guy has an extra heart and a  _ really  _ good internal clock. That can’t be it, right? Way too lame for the watch. I don’t think I’ve got super strength, super speed, or super...anything. Maybe I’m camouflaged or something. Looking human to blend in!”

Ben focused all his energy on changing his appearance to whatever-it-was he was SUPPOSED to look like. And...nothing. Still the skinny British dude. 

“If I’m an alien, then how come I’m British? It’s not like it’s  _ impossible  _ or anything. It’s just that most alien’s I’ve met didn’t have any accent at all. And NONE of them looked this much like a normal person. Except, like, Viktor. He had an accent, too. Wonder if that means anything?” Ben mused. “Eh, probably not.”

A crazy idea popped into Ben’s head, seemingly from out of nowhere.

“Maybe the  _ humans  _ are the ones that look like whatever this guy is! They came first, and humans just so happen to look like  _ them! _ ” Ben concluded. “Nah, that couldn’t be right...where did that idea come from?”

“Hey, doofus? Are you gonna keep talking to yourself, or are we going?”

Ben hadn’t noticed Gwen. Looking back, Gwen had arrived fifteen seconds ago. It had taken her about one minute to change and get her money. And...why did that matter?

“Sorry. Just thinking, I guess.”

“You?  _ Thinking?  _ That has to be the alien part of you,” Gwen teased. Ben stuck his tongue out at his cousin, and the two walked to their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you spot any obvious references in this, let it be known that I couldn't help myself.


	3. What's in a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Tennyson cousins get to watch their movies, Ben realizes he hasn't given this new alien a name.

Ben and Gwen arrived at the Ultracinemaplex's entrance to see a tired-looking ticket-taker. 

“Welcome to the Ultracinemaplex, may I help you?” they droned.

“Hello! I’m an adult, as you can clearly see. And as an adult, I would like to purchase one ticket to Slaughterhouse V,” Ben stated. Gwen nudged him. “And a ticket to that...what was the movie called?”

“A Study of Nature,”

“Right, one ticket to A Study of Nature,” Ben finished. He gave his money and Gwen’s to the ticket-taker, who gave the duo their tickets. 

“Thank you for coming to the Ultracinemaplex, we hope you enjoy the experience.”

With a thumbs up between them, Gwen and Ben entered the theater. They both gawked at the interior. 

"Look at all the separate theaters! They look like they go on forever..." Gwen said in awe.

"There's one hundred ten of them," Ben stated matter-of-factly.

"...how did you know that?"

"Duh. I counted them!"

"You counted one hundred ten theaters in a second?!"

"In fifteen milliseconds, to be precise."

"UGH! Enough with the specifics already!" Gwen moaned. Only now did Ben realize what he'd been talking about.

"I guess this guy's good at counting. 'This guy.' I needa give him a name! How about..."

Ben remembered calling himself a "walking timetable." That could work.

"Timetable?" Ben tried out.

"Meh. Can't think of anything better," Gwen commented. "We'll meet up here after our movies are over, right?"

Ben nodded. The cousins went to their theaters. As Ben walked in, he noticed the Omnitrix emblem on his hand flashing red. Thinking quickly, he hid in the dark theater walkway and waited for the watch to time out. In the darkness, nobody noticed the red flash as Ben returned to normal.

"Aw, great, I'm still in my pajamas! Let's just hope it's too dark to notice."

Ben found his way to a seat with the perfect view. He put his feet up on another seat (which was thankfully empty).

"Time for a high definition surround sound slaughterfest!"

After that overly gory and way too cheesy masterpiece of a film was over, Ben walked into the lobby. He saw that Gwen was there waiting for him. He walked over to his cousin.

"That was the BEST! It was Slaughterhouse V like you've NEVER seen it before," Ben told her.

"It was pretty impressive. The picture quality was so clear! It was like I was right there, basking in the glory of the outdoors..." Gwen praised. "Are you in your pajamas?"

"I didn't change clothes before I went hero, alright? Now let's get outta here before Grandpa wakes up." Gwen nodded in agreement. Lucky for both of them, the ticket-taker was too tired to notice that the person coming OUT with Gwen didn't look the same as the one who went IN.

In a moment of pure anticipation, Ben opened the Rustbucket door, and...Max was sleeping soundly.

"We...we did it. We got away with it!" Ben whispered.

"Now hurry back into bed before that changes!" Gwen quietly ordered.

Ben hurried back into his bed, and assumed Gwen was changing back into her pajamas.

_Got to see a movie in the coolest movie theater of all time, and we still got time to spare! Not bad for a ten-year-old in his pajamas._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Timetable's" abilities, according to Ben:   
> -Has 2 hearts, which has got to be good for SOMETHING, right?  
> -Basically a walking timer? Guess that makes sense, he came out of a watch  
> -Can count stuff REALLY fast


	4. You Read my Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've fast forwarded now, and the events of Don't Drink the Water have occurred. The Tennysons are now on their way to Camille and Joel's wedding (the events of Big Fat Alien Wedding). 
> 
> Ben hasn't really had the time to learn more about Timetable's abilities. Now that they're on the road again, maybe he can check it out.

The Rustbucket made a stop by a nice, open field on the way to the wedding of Ben and Gwen's first cousin once removed, Joel. Grandpa Max set up some folding chairs and a folding table to make an area for the group to sit and eat. Ben and Gwen sat at the table as Max cooked. Both cousins were dreading whatever concoction the old man had in store for them. To distract himself from both his empty stomach and his disdain for Max's cooking, Ben messed with the Omnitrix.

"Are you ever going to stop fidgeting with that thing? You might break it, y'know," Gwen warned.

"Hey, Azmuth fixed it and said I could keep using it. I don't see the problem!" Ben replied. He fooled around with the controls some more, and a familiar silhouette appeared on the Omnitrix. It was distinctly humanoid, and you could see the little spikes on its hair pointing up. "Huh? Hey Gwen, look!" 

Gwen took a peek over at the Omnitrix and saw the figure. "Is that..Timetable?"

"Yeah, I think so. I couldn't find him after the last time I turned into him. What made him show up now?" Ben wondered.

Max, who was eavesdropping, couldn't help but notice he wasn't let in on this new alien.

"What's a Timetable?" Max asked. Ben and Gwen gulped. Operation Ultracinemaplex went off without a hitch. They could NOT be exposed now.

"It's a new alien I found when I tried using the watch. Wasn't long after I got Ditto, too," Ben said, clearly omitting some important details.

"I see. And _when_ did you have time to find a completely new transformation _without me knowing?_ " Grandpa interrogated. Ben and Gwen shot each other nervous glances.

"Well, y'see, one night, I couldn't fall asleep, and I had to use the bathroom, and..." Ben explained. He wasn't sure how far he could get with half-truths like this. Gwen, fortunately, saved it.

"And he accidentally hit the watch when he fell down from his bunkbed! It woke me up, and we didn't want to wake YOU up, so we stayed inside the Rustbucket to try and figure out more about this new alien! I guess we just never got around to telling you!" Gwen sputtered out, followed by an obviously fake giggle.

" _Really_. That's _all that happened_ _?_ " Max pressured.

"Uh, yup! That's it! Exactly like she said!" Ben lied. Max clearly didn't believe them, but didn't feel like forcing the answer out of them. "Uh, Grandpa, isn't our lunch burning?"

He was right. Max quickly went back to his grill and salvaged what he could of the meat he was using.

"This SHOULD be enough, but I've got some leftover s'more crackers in the Rustbucket if you like."

"Yes please!" Ben and Gwen said together.

After an...interesting meal, Ben decided it was time for Timetable. Grandpa Max was washing dishes, so that had to take up some time, right? He'd check out his alien for a sec, and when Grandpa was done, there'd be no awkward questions.

"Yo, Gwen. I'm gonna go Timetable again. If Grandpa finishes the dishes, I'll need you to field questions, got it?"

"Since when do you order ME around?" Gwen complained.

"Gwennnn!"

"Fine, fine. You're lucky I was an accomplice in all this."

Satisfied, Ben stepped away from the table. He activated the Omnitrix, which was still set on the correct alien. He slammed the dial down, a green light flashed, and presto! Timetable was back in action.

"The watch gave me the right alien! Brilliant!" Ben exclaimed. "'Brilliant.' We're _sure_ Timetable isn't just British?" he asked himself. "OK! Now, let's test you out. Maybe...teleporting?"

Ben focused INCREDIBLY hard on moving to another location without actually MOVING. Yeah, wasn't working.

"Hm. No teleporting. I don't THINK there's anything cool, like heatvision or freeze breath, either...How about x-ray vision?"

Now, Ben decided to focus on seeing inside the Rustbucket. Again, no success. He went back to his chair in a huff.

"Is this REALLY all this guy can do?! Tell time and COUNT?! I might as well be Gwen's laptop!" Ben complained.

Gwen felt bad for her doofus cousin. Sure, he was annoying, obnoxious, and stupid, but he was her family. They did care about each other, whether they'd admit it or not, and Ben was genuinely distressed. She pat Ben's hand with her own.

"Hey, it's ok, right? There's gotta be millions of aliens out there. Not all of them can be powerhouses," she said, attempting to console Ben. When she tapped Ben's hand, his expression changed from miffed to surprised. "Ben? You ok?"

"Do that again," Ben said.

"What?"

"My hand. Hold my hand."

"...why?"

"Just do it! I think I found out what this guy can do!"

Ben was pretty excited. Ah, well, whatever works. Gwen held her cousin's hand. Totally not uncomfortable at all. Nope.

"Like this?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah! Exactly! Now uh...think something."

" _Think_ something?"

"Mhm." Ben appeared serious. Gwen wasn't too sure what Ben was trying to do, but figured it wouldn't hurt to go along. She tightened the grip on Ben's hand, and he closed his eyes.

 _Is he meditating or something?_ Gwen pondered.

"I said _think something_ , not _say it out loud_ , dweeb," Ben said. His eyes were open now, and he was giving Gwen an annoyed look.

"I _DIDN'T_ _!_ " Gwen shouted, letting go of Ben's hand. "You're just messing with me, aren't you!"

"Yes you DID! You said 'Is he meditating or something?'" Ben mimicked (unflatteringly). Gwen's eyes widened. "What?"

"I...I didn't say that out loud. That's what I was THINKING."

Ben gasped in excitement. "NO WAY. You're lying to me."

"I'm serious! How did you-"

"HAHA! I was RIGHT! I can READ MINDS! BOOM!" Ben announced. He sported a large grin in contrast to Gwen's expression of disbelief.

"You can...That's...that's INCREDIBLE! What am I thinking right now?!"

Ben tried his best, but he couldn't get a message as clearly as before. All he could get was a vague impression.

"You're thinking about...a song, I think...but it's not like before. Last time, I heard you thinking just as clearly as you're talking now. What changed?"

"Hm...Ben, why did you ask me to hold your hand?"

"Oh, 'cuz I thought I heard your thoughts when you pat me before. Not like I _wanna_ hold hands with my gross cousin," Ben assured her.

"Then maybe that's what's changed. You can only read minds if someone's holding your hand?"

"But you weren't holding my hand when you pat it. You just...touched it."

"Ok, so you can only read minds if you're making physical contact with someone, then."

Ben sighed. That wasn't as helpful, but it was better than nothing.

"That's normally referred to as 'touch telepathy.'"

Ben and Gwen turned to see Grandpa Max.

"...how long were you standing there?" asked Ben.

"Long enough."

As if on cue, the Omnitrix timed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm enjoying myself too much when I write this, I think XD


	5. I'm The Doctor, not a Handyman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max just so happens to have access to some Plumber files on the alien species Timetable is. The trio decide to do a little research.

"Time _what?"_

"They're called 'Time Lords,' as far as I know. They're a mysterious people, capable of time traveling. We don't know too much about them, especially over here in the states. We let the England-based organizations like U.N.I.T. take care of that sort of thing," Max explained.

"The Plumbers aren't the only alien-fighting organization?" Ben questioned.

"Ben, Plumbers are more like an intergalactic police force than an 'alien-fighting organization,' but yes. Plenty of governments around the world started noticing alien activity that the Plumbers couldn't cover up, so they made their own organizations. There's two big ones in England. They and the Plumbers mostly have a 'don't bother us, we won't bother you' policy, but we share information about certain alien species with each other."

"So Timetable is one of those Time guys?"

"Exactly. We don't know much about their culture. The majority of them have a strict non-interference policy in regards to interacting with other planets. A select few have made their way around the universe, causing trouble. One of them is considered a valued ally to the human race, but there haven't been too many records of him showing up outside the UK."

"That's weird. How come he only shows up there?" Gwen asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you. And if I had to guess, I'd say that ally's DNA is the one you've got stored in the Omnitrix, Ben."

"So I can turn into an _actual_ alien hero? AWESOME! What's his name?!"

"Nobody knows for sure, not even the guys across the pond. He goes by quite a few fake names, and normally refers to himself solely by rank. I wouldn't quite call him a hero, Ben..."

"Why not? You just said he's considered a valued ally to humanity," Gwen pointed out.

"That's true, but his track record is far from perfect."

"Eh, whatever. If it's an alien in my watch, then it's a hero now!" Ben decided. "So what else can he do? There's more than what I figured out, yeah?"

Max continued to examine the information he had in front of him. He took some time reading it, then relayed the info back to his grandkids.

"Touch telepathy, sensitivity to time, incredible observation skills...you've got that all covered. The person your DNA sample came from is also highly intelligent, capable of speaking every known language, can redirect breathing using a respiratory bypass system, and is an expert mechanic. He can also...well, that one shouldn't matter. The Omnitrix is supposed to change you back to normal when in a life threatening situation," Max listed. What he didn't mention was the multiple appearances that this alien had taken on over the years. Of all the bodies, why did Ben get this one? Were they the most compatible personalities? He doubted he would ever find out.

"Hm..." muttered Gwen. An expert mechanic? That could actually prove useful. "Ben, my laptop's been acting up a little lately. You don't think you could-"

"No. NO WAY. I'm not using my new ALIEN TRANSFORMATION to fix your computer. And I won't fix it with Upgrade, either!" Ben stated.

"Aw, come on! You SAID you wanted to test him out some more! The Omnitrix is recharged, you could TOTALLY do it!"

"Nu-uh!"

"That's enough, you two. Ben, if you're going to test 'Timetable' out, you might as well fix Gwen's computer. While we're at it, we can check some of your other abilities out as well," Grandpa Max decided.

Ben wondered why his Grandpa was so much more involved with Ben's alien transformation this time. Normally, when he got a new alien, he'd figure out how to use it on his own. He guessed it was because of that "less that perfect track record" Max had mentioned earlier.

Max put his toolbox on the Rustbucket's table right next to Gwen's laptop.

"You ready, Ben?" Ben nodded. He activated the Omnitrix and spun his way to the correct image. One press, one flash of light, and "Timetable" reappeared. Max stepped back in shock. He looked a little nervous.

"Uh, Grandpa? Are you alright?" Ben asked. Max took a moment to look at Ben's new form. The change in the clothes' colorscheme, he expected. That was normal for Ben's transformations. His eyes, though, were green, just like Ben's eyes normally were. The form he'd taken _should've_ had brown eyes. Actually, Grandpa took a bit of comfort in that. You could tell he was still Ben that way.

"I'm fine. Don't you worry, sport." Ben nodded and sat down. He looked at Gwen's computer.

"I don't know how I never noticed it before. Your laptop is SUPER primitive. When was it made, 2005?" Ben mused.

"Ben, it IS 2005," Gwen pointed out.

"Right...why did I forget that? Anyway, I'm sure I can fix it. No problem!"

Ben opened the computer up and started his examination with the hard drive. By the look of it, it could store what, eighty gigabytes? LAUGHABLE. It was time for him to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn't resist the title lol


	6. Test Your Skills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First we test his technological skills. Then, the telepathy.

After exactly twenty minutes and thirteen seconds, Ben finished. He closed up Gwen's laptop and packed away Max's tools. 

"So? What did you do?" Gwen worried. She didn't like the idea of Ben messing with her computer, alien genius or not.

"My guess is you were experiencing problems due to your hard drive being nearly full. I thought the easiest thing to do was expand your hard drive's storage capacity!" Ben happily explicated.

"Alright, great. How much can it hold now?"

"About...one terabyte, give-or-take." Gwen and Max's jaws DROPPED. "I would've added more, but I didn't have enough materials."

"No way..." Gwen trailed off. "T-thanks, Ben...I guess I owe you one."

"You owe me two. Your computer is now also a fully functioning TV remote."

"Why'd you do that, Ben?" said Max.

"I...actually have no idea. I don't think I know when to stop," Ben admitted. "Soooo, are we testing anything else, or...?"

"You haven't ever used a telepathic alien before, have you Ben?" Max asked.

"I don't think so. Unless you count Ghostfreak taking over people's minds, I guess," replied Ben. He really didn't like Ghostfreak.

"Then I think it's best we try and test that out some more. Best you get in some practice."

Ben supposed that made sense. It was still a weird experience, testing out alien powers with Grandpa and Gwen involved, but this one was impossible to test on his own.

"You said that when you held hands with Gwen, you heard her thoughts as clearly as you hear her speak, yes?" Max said. Ben nodded. "Alright, let's try again, but with me. Maybe you can send messages _to_ people as well." Ooh! Ben hadn't considered that. It sounded pretty neat, too.

Max sat himself down across from Ben. He placed his hands on the table. Ben held both his grandfather's hands tight and shut his eyes. If this was going to work, he had to concentrate.

"Hey, Ben? Don't mess anything up in Grandpa's head," Gwen condescended.

"I won't!"

"Ben, focus."

"Right. Sorry, Grandpa," he apologized. He quickly made a face at Gwen before closing his eyes again. He tried to keep his mind "open." He wasn't quite sure what that meant, but somehow he knew that's what he should be doing. Weird.

_He's a clever kid. I'm sure he can figure it out._

Huh? That...that had to be Grandpa! Ben quietly gasped.

_He gasped...does that mean...Ben? Can you hear this?_

"Y-yeah. I can. So weird..." Ben responded.

"You can what?" Gwen said. "Wait, are you talking to Grandpa? Are you hearing what he's thinking?" Gwen was clearly in awe of this ability. She wasn't easily impressed by Ben's showings of brute strength, but even Ben's smartest aliens couldn't do THIS.

"Uh-huh," confirmed Ben.

_Atta boy, Ben._

Even if it SOUNDED like Grandpa was just talking, Ben could swear he could _feel_ the warmth behind Max's words. It was nice.

_I'm no expert on this sort of thing, but maybe you can try...thinking AT me?_

"Uh...ok."

_Grandpa? Grandpa Max?_

No answer from him. Clearly, this wasn't working.

_C'mon, Ben, FOCUS!_

Ben tried with all his might to think AT his grandpa. 

_Hello? Grandpa?_

Max ripped his hands away from Ben's with a yelp. Ben opened his eyes instantly, only to see Gwen rushing to Grandpa to comfort him. He was breathing heavily. 

"What did you DO to him?!" Gwen shouted.

"I-I didn't do anything! I-"

Before Ben could finish, the Omnitrix began to time out.

"Ben, I'm not messing around. What HAPPENED?!"

"I don't know! All I did was-"

Ben transformed back into his normal self in a small flash of red.

"-try and think at him!" he finished. Max waved Gwen off, and his breathing became calmer. He looked to have regained composure.

"Grandpa, are you alright? Don't tell me Ben fried your brain..." fretted Gwen.

"I'm just fine, Gwen. I just didn't expect... _that_ ," Max reassured her. "You could've warned me, sport," 

"Warned you? Grandpa, I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to do anything, I was just trying to think at you, like you said, and-" Ben apologized.

"You...you don't know, do you?"

"Don't know what?"

Max chuckled. Normally, his laughter would ease tensions between the three Tennysons. This time, it only made Ben and Gwen more worried.

"Grandpa?" said Ben.

"I only expected to hear YOU talking back to me inside my mind. Maybe your usual voice, maybe Timetable's, or maybe both at once. Is that what it sounded like to you?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Did...did you hear somethin' else?" Ben hypothesized.

"I heard multiple voices. Just under a dozen, I think. All speaking at once, like a hive mind," Grandpa described. The young Tennysons both found this disturbing. This alien wasn't part of a hive mind, right? So what was with those creepy voices?

"Maybe you shouldn't use this one for now, Ben," Gwen suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," he agreed.

"Ben, I'm _fine_. You shouldn't deprive yourself of a new transformation just because I got a little nervous!" Max comforted.

Ben smiled at Max, but for once, he agreed with Gwen. Besides, he had plenty of other aliens that were _way_ better than this one, right? 


End file.
